


A Promise for the New Year

by tlakht



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, Fluff, Good Parent John Winchester, M/M, Marriage Proposal, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22078651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tlakht/pseuds/tlakht
Summary: Dean and his boyfriend, Cas, are celebrating New Year's with Dean's family. There's a bonfire, there's snow, there's joy - and there's a ring.Excerpt:The fire  was already burning in the barnyard by the time they made it outside, and everyone was standing around it in the snow or sitting on the improvised log benches John had made – apart from Uncle Bobby, whose wheelchair was placed right next to one of the logs, where he and John were getting nostalgic and talking about old times.There was a sense of contentedness and a warmth there that had nothing to do with the bonfire, and Dean saw Cas’s worry melt away when they were greeted with nothing but smiles as they sat down in the space that had been saved for them on a log. There was only just enough space for the two of them to sit side by side, which meant they ended up pressed against each other. Dean didn’t mind, and neither did Cas, judging by the way he snuggled up to Dean.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	A Promise for the New Year

“Hey, sunshine.” Dean sat down on the edge of the bed in his childhood farmhouse bedroom and ran a hand through his boyfriend’s hair. A smile tugged at his mouth – and his heart, watching Cas blink blearily up at him. “You done sleeping off dinner yet?”

“Oh.” An adorable blush made its way up Cas’s neck, even as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I just wanted to rest for a few minutes. How long…?”

“It’s eleven thirty. Everyone else has gone outside, they’re getting started on the bonfire.”

Cas groaned and buried his face in Dean’s side. “What must your family think of me?”

“Hey.” Dean nudged Cas gently. “They adore you. No one blames you for needing some rest. You’re not used to spending New Year’s with some twenty-odd friends and family members.”

Cas shook his head against Dean’s shirt. “But they’re such lovely people. I don’t want them to think I don’t like them.”

“Trust me, they don’t,” Dean assured him with a kiss to the top of his head. “Now come on, or they’ll never forgive you for not making it to the bonfire by midnight.”

Cas pulled away, eyes big and worried until he caught sight of Dean’s smirk. “You’re mean,“ he grumbled.

“But you love me anyway,” Dean replied with an easy smile on his face as he gave Cas a hand, pulling him to his feet and into a kiss.

“You’re lucky I do,” Cas murmured against his lips – and Dean couldn’t do anything but agree. He fumbled a hand into his pocket, feeling the small velvet box there like he had several times already during their Christmas vacation, never quite working up the nerve to do what he’d planned.

"Hey, um…”

“I know.” Cas leaned his forehead against Dean’s. “Bonfire. We need to go.”

“Yeah.” Dean shook himself. “Yeah, let’s go.”

–––

The fire was already burning in the barnyard by the time they made it outside, and everyone was standing around it in the snow or sitting on the improvised log benches John had made – apart from Uncle Bobby, whose wheelchair was placed right next to one of the logs, where he and John were getting nostalgic and talking about old times.

There was a sense of contentedness and a warmth there that had nothing to do with the bonfire, and Dean saw Cas’s worry melt away when they were greeted with nothing but smiles as they sat down in the space that had been saved for them on a log. There was only just enough space for the two of them to sit side by side, which meant they ended up pressed against each other. Dean didn’t mind, and neither did Cas, judging by the way he snuggled up to Dean.

“This is nice,” Cas said softly, accepting a cup of warm eggnog from Mary with a nod of thanks. “Can we celebrate New Year’s with your family next year as well?”

“Of course. Whatever you want,” Dean promised like the sap Cas had turned him into, too taken with the way the fire made Cas’s eyes glitter to do anything but agree. “Your family would be welcome too if they wanted to come next year. And, y'know, every year after that.”

“Every year?” Cas asked with wonder in his eyes and a smile on his lips. “Are you saying you see us celebrating New Year’s together when we’re old?”

“I… was kinda hoping we would be.” Dean’s heart fluttered in his chest, and the weight of the small box in his pocket made itself known. “Cas,” he said, softly, urgently. “I have something for you, something I’ve been wanting to give you all the time we’ve been here.” His voice carried a slight tremor, and he didn’t quite dare to look Cas in the eyes as he spoke. “I have it in my pocket, but I wasn’t really planning to give it to you with all these people around, and I don’t even know if you’ll want it at all. But I can wait if you want to, I can give it to you later –”

“Dean.” Cas interrupted Dean’s rambling, and Dean finally made himself look at Cas, who was looking right back at him with big eyes, a mix of disbelief and expectancy on his face. “If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about, you better not make me wait for it,” he warned. “You can’t just say those things and then not –” He drew in a deep breath as if he didn’t dare to continue the sentence lest he be mistaken.

“Okay,” Dean agreed breathlessly. “Yeah. Hang on, I’ll –” He fumbled with the box again, trying to get it out of his pocket, but it got caught in the lining. He pulled harder – and it flew out of his hand, into the snow right in front of his father and Uncle Bobby. Dean felt utterly paralysed as he watched them look at the object with curiosity, and then – oh god, then came the realisation, the raised eyebrows and the shared looks.

“Well, what are you waiting for, ya idjit?” Bobby said to John, nodding his head in the direction of the box, and John shook his head and went to pick it up. Dean had forgotten how to breathe, and considering how perfectly still Cas was beside him, he probably had, too.

“Here, son.” John handed the box back to Dean and squeezed his shoulder, giving him a secretive smile.

It turned out Dean’s father hadn’t needed to bother with any kind of secretiveness, as Sam had noticed what was going on and nudged their mother, and all of a sudden there seemed to be some kind of game of Chinese whispers going on – except everyone seemed to get the message loud and clear, as they all went quiet and turned expectantly to Cas and Dean, excitement in their eyes. It did nothing to calm Dean’s nerves, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he finally let himself slip off the log and down in front of Cas, the snow crunching underneath the one knee he was kneeling on.

“Cas,” he said, the tremor from before even more evident in his voice now, but the wonder in Cas’s eyes gave him the courage he needed to continue. “I wasn’t planning to do this quite like this. But… I guess it’s kinda fitting that it’s happening in front of my family, ‘cause… Cas, it would mean the world to me if you would be my family, too.”

Cas’s eyes were shining, the firelight reflecting in moisture that hadn’t been there earlier. The sight of it made Dean break the promise he’d made to himself that he wouldn’t cry, and he sniffled through a self-deprecating laugh. “I want to spend every Christmas, every New Year’s, every important day with you from now and until the day I die. So I really, really hope you’ll say yes to…” He opened the box to reveal the ring he’d bought for Cas. “Becoming my husband?”

Cas’s breath hitched, his hand covering his mouth – and the next moment Ash was heard calling out, “Happy New Year!” from somewhere nearby, announcing the stroke of midnight; he’d clearly wandered off somewhere, unaware of what was going on. Dean couldn’t help but laugh, and then Cas cracked up. And then everyone else started, too.

“I suppose I should give you an answer,” Cas said once he managed to speak, a smile lingering on his face and eyes brimming. “After all, I’ve made you wait since last decade.” Dean produced a sound somewhere between a happy sob and a laugh, and Cas continued. “Dean, nothing would make me happier than getting to call you my husband. Yes, I’ll marry you. Of course I will.”

Dean’s heart felt like it grew ten sizes then and there, and it beat a joyful tattoo against his ribs. Hands shaking, he somehow managed to place the ring on Cas’s finger, to the sound of cheering and applause from everyone present. Then, “What’d I miss?” from Ash, which set off a new round of laughter – and when it died down, Dean finally got his New Year’s kiss, full of promise for the future. A future together with Cas, which was the best possible way he could start the new decade. He couldn’t wait to see what the rest of it – and several more – would have in store for them.


End file.
